1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a recorder using fanfold recording paper, and more particularly to a recorder having an improved tray for accommodating fanfold recording paper as a folded stack after recording of information on the paper.
2. Description of Prior Invention
FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) of the accompanying drawings show a prior recorder known to applicant and having a platen roller 9 for feeding fanfold recording paper 1. Desired data items are recorded on the recording paper 1 by feeding the paper between the platten 9 and a thermal head 7 pressing against the paper and the platen roller under the force of a pressing spring 6. Since the recording paper 1 is pressed against the paper 1 and the platen roller 9, perforations in the recording paper 1 provided for folding of the paper are also pressed and flattened by the heat of the thermal head 7, with the result that the recording paper 1 becomes less liable to be folded at the perforations.
The recording paper has its recording surface disposed closely to a front transparent panel 11 in order for the data items recorded on the recording paper 1 to be easily observable from the outside. It follows therefore that a force is imposed by the downflowing recording paper on the front side of the stack of the recording paper 1, which has a front height A' smaller than the rear height A thereof. As the paper stack height increases, the top of the front side of the stack is brought into contact with the front transparent panel 11. The paper stack is spaced rearwardly from the front transparent panel 11 by a gap B which becomes progressively smaller as the paper stack grows, until finally the gap B is eliminated at a certain height. When the front transparent panel 11 is opened, therefore, the folded recording paper 1 will collapse and fall down out of a paper tray 12.
If the recorded paper happens to be initially placed in the paper tray 12 with a positional deviation C as shown in FIG. 1(b), then a row of perforations 5 will be tilted by h and the feed of subsequent recording paper 1 to be folded will become unstable.
There is known to applicant a line printer including a body arranged for assisting the paper to be folded in a direction normal to a transverse direction of the paper so as to flatten folds. However, the assisting body is only effective in preventing the folds from being raised.